Examples of animals with trunks include aardvarks, African elephants, Asian elephants, Baird’s tapir, and Borneo elephants.
Some animals have a trunk, like elephants and aardvark. These animals use their trunks for everything from drinking to eating to breathing. Trunks are an interesting body part, but what animal exactly have them?
Examples of Animals with Trunks
1. Aardvarks
| Scientific Name | Orycteropus afer |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | sub-Saharan Africa |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Aardvarks are burrowing animals that live in South Africa. They have elongated noses called trunks, which they use for digging and finding food.
Aardvark’s nostrils close when their snouts are buried underground to keep earth out of their nose while digging. The aardvark is the only mammal that feeds primarily on termites.
Related Article: Do Aardvark Have Big & Long Ears?
2. African Bush Elephant
| Scientific Name | Loxodonta africana |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The African bush elephant is the largest land animal on earth! These elephants can weigh up to two tons and grow to be over eleven feet tall. They are distinguished by their large ears and, of course, their trunk. The trunk is an incredibly versatile body part that the elephant uses for a variety of purposes.
For example, they use it to drink water, eat food, and breathe. The trunk is also important for communication; elephants use it to make a variety of sounds that are used to communicate with other elephants.
3. African Forest Elephant
| Scientific Name | Loxodonta cyclotis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | central Africa |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The African forest elephant can be found in the rainforests of central and western Africa. It has a life span of 60 years, with an average weight between 6,000 – 13,000 lbs.
They are generally smaller than their savanna counterparts but have larger ears. These elephants use their trunks for everything from drinking water to smelling, breathing, and grabbing things.
Trunks can also be used to sound out warnings or make noises that are similar in pitch to human speech.
4. Asian Elephant
| Scientific Name | Elephas maximus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Southeast Asia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Asian Elephant is one of the largest land animals on Earth. They are distinguishable by their long trunk, which they use for a variety of purposes.
Their trunk is strong enough to tear down trees and lift heavy objects. The elephants also use their trunks to communicate with each other, through a process called “trumpeting.”
5. Baird’s Tapir
| Scientific Name | Tapirus bairdii |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | forests and wetlands from Mexico to Colombia. |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Baird’s Tapir is a large, herbivorous mammal found in Central and South America. This animal has a long trunk which it uses for a variety of purposes. The tapir can use its trunk to drink water, scoop up food, and even communicate with other tapirs.
6. Borneo Elephant
| Scientific Name | Elephas maximus borneensis |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Borneo |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Borneo Elephant is one of the largest land animals in the world. These elephants have massive trunks that they use for a variety of purposes. Their trunk is strong enough to knock down trees and break branches.
They also use their trunk to suck up water and drink from rivers and lakes. Elephants can hold up to four gallons of water in their trunk at a time. They also use their trunk to eat leaves and other food items.
The Borneo Elephant’s trunk is so large that it can weigh up to 280 pounds.
7. Butterflies
| Scientific Name | Rhopalocera |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Butterflies have a proboscis, which is a long, coiled tube that they use to drink nectar from flowers. The proboscis is made up of two tubes: the labium and the maxilla. The labium is on the bottom of the proboscis and it sucks up nectar from flowers.
The maxilla is on top of the labium and it looks like a hypodermic needle. It pierces through petals to reach the nectar at the bottom of flowers when butterflies drink from them.
Before they can use their proboscis, butterflies have to pump fluid into their tubes with muscles in their heads called “reservoirs.”
8. Elephant Seals
| Scientific Name | Mirounga |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | eastern and central North Pacific Ocean |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Elephant seals are marine species that can be found in the eastern and central North Pacific oceans. They spend most of their time out at sea, where they dive to depths as deep as 1700 meters for food.
Their large size and trunks allow them to quickly break through the ice when returning from these dives.
9. Elephant Shrews
| Scientific Name | Macroscelididae |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | southern Africa |
| Diet | Omnivore |
Elephant shrews possess a trunk that is formed by the fusion of their upper lip and nose. Through this unusual body part, they can smell prey like insects or worms up to 16 inches (40 cm) underground.
10. Giant Anteaters
| Scientific Name | Myrmecophaga tridactyla |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Central and South America except for Guatemala, Uruguay, and El Salvador |
| Diet | Carnivore |
Giant anteaters are probably one of the most well-known animals with trunks. These creatures use their trunk to eat insects, and they have a very long tongue that can reach up to 2 feet in length.
The trunk is also used to communicate with other anteaters.
Related Article: 25 Animals that Look Like Anteaters
11. Indian Elephant
| Scientific Name | Elephas maximus indicus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | on the Asian mainland |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Indian elephant is one of the largest animals in the world with a trunk that can weigh up to 11,000 pounds. Their trunks are so strong that they can even break tree branches.
The elephant uses its trunk to breathe and drink like humans use their noses.
12. Malayan Tapir
| Scientific Name | Acrocodia indica |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | southern Thailand |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The Malayan tapir is one of the largest animals with a trunk. These impressive animals are also known as Asian Tapirs and can grow to be over five feet tall.
It has been said that they have “the most humanlike face” out of all animal species, but this might just be because their noses look like theirs more than any other animal! Malayan tapirs use their trunks for everything from drinking to eating to breathing.
13. Moths
| Scientific Name | Lepidoptera |
| Type of Animal | Insect |
| Range | Worldwide |
| Diet | Herbivore |
Moths are a type of insect that is known for their long, trunk-like proboscis. This appendage is used for drinking nectar from flowers and other plants. The proboscis can also be extended to reach food sources that are hard to get.
14. Mountain Tapir
| Scientific Name | Tapirus pinchaque |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Colombia, Ecuador, and northern Peru |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The mountain tapir is a herbivore that lives in the rainforests of South America. This animal has a prehensile trunk that it uses to grab leaves and fruits from the trees. The mountain tapir also uses its trunk to suck up water from streams and rivers, allowing it to stay hydrated in the hot jungle environment.
15. Proboscis Monkeys
| Scientific Name | Nasalis larvatus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Borneo |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The probosci’s monkey is a fascinating creature with an incredibly long trunk. This monkey lives in the rainforest of Borneo and Sumatra and is known for its distinctive face.
The male proboscis monkey has an enormous nose that can grow up to 4 inches long. This giant nose helps the monkeys attract mates and intimidate rivals.
The probosci’s monkey’s trunk is not just for show. It serves an important function in the monkey’s life. The trunk helps the monkeys drink, eat, and breathe. It is also used to communicate with other monkeys.
16. Saiga Antelopes
| Scientific Name | Saiga tatarica |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Central Asia |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The saiga antelope is a strange-looking creature that can be found in the wilds of Russia and Kazakhstan. This animal has a trunk-like protrusion on its face that it uses for a variety of tasks.
The saiga antelope’s trunk is used for drinking, eating, and breathing. This unusual appendage helps the saiga antelope survive in the harsh desert climate.
17. South American Tapir
| Scientific Name | Tapirus terrestris |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | North-Central Colombia and east of the Andes |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The South American tapir is a mammal that lives in Central and South America. This animal has a long, trunk-like snout that it uses for everything from drinking to eating to breathing.
The tapir’s trunk is very flexible and strong, allowing the animal to do a variety of tasks with it.
18. Sri Lankan Elephant
| Scientific Name | Elephas maximus maximus |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | the north, east, and southeast of Sri Lanka |
| Diet | Herbivore |
The Sri Lankan Elephant is the largest land mammal in Asia. These elephants have massive trunks that they use for a variety of functions. Their trunks are strong enough to break down trees and move heavy objects.
They also use their trunks to drink water, which they suck up into their trunk and then spray into their mouths.
19. Wild Boars
| Scientific Name | Sus scrofa |
| Type of Animal | Mammal |
| Range | Europe and North Africa to India, the Andaman Islands, and China. |
| Diet | Omnivore |
The wild boar is a species of pig that is found in Europe and Asia. These animals have a long, protruding trunk that they use for feeding and drinking.
The trunk of a wild boar is very sensitive, and the animals can use it to sense their surroundings. They also use their trunks to communicate with each other, making loud snorting noises.
Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.